lovesangelrn's Profile
Stat Summary
- Average Rating:4
- Helpful Votes:283
- Reviews Submitted:9
- First Review:December 5, 2012
- Most Recent Review:May 25, 2013
- Featured reviews0
lovesangelrn's Review History
The evil Alura is back, and this time she’s attacking your homeland!
Overall rating
4
/
5
41 of 48 found this review helpful
Pretty fun game, not sure if it's worth CE price
PostedMay 25, 2013
lovesangelrn
fromcolumbus, OH
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
REVIEW BASED ON ONE HOUR DEMO
I have not played the others in this series, but had no trouble following the plot. It was obvious I was missing some back story, but didn't feel too left out. You are a prince, on a mission to save the witch that has plagued you for so long from becoming evil in the first place.
--3 difficulty modes, which can be changed at any time through the menu.
--5 chapters + bonus chapter. During my hour demo, I made it through most of chapter one.
--Map...Jumpable and with some indication of where you should be to preform a given task. I see another reviewer mentioned that the map indicators are not always right, and I could see that happening given what kind of info it gives.
--Voice overs (but something about them just weren't convincing to me...sounded like the same actor for all the male voices).
--soundtrack was pretty and relaxing.
--Hint/skip button fills quickly on casual mode. Hint works well outside of HOS. Lots of black bar hints on casual, almost too much hand holding...wish I had tried advanced instead.
--HOS...there were quite a few in my demo, but they were varied in type and were all interactive. I had 2-3 lists with junk piles, a couple of FROGs, 2 "put the items back", and one "find x number of items" The scenes were all pretty clear, but some of the items did not look like what I thought I was looking for (the "screwdriver" was not a traditional looking one)
--Puzzles....on the easier side, but still fun.
--SG, stayed open to the last page you were on....honestly, I never used it during the demo.
--no collectibles, no achievements (well, you are collecting gems to install into amulets to break the curse...but as that is intergral to the game, I don't consider it a collectible or extra)
CE extras: SG, wallpapers, conceptual art, and soundtrack
OVERVIEW:
My hour really flew by, and I was caught off guard when the game stopped because time had run out....so I was enjoying the story. If it this had all the normal CE extras like collectibles and achievements, I would be really tempted (takes alot for me to spend the extra for a CE). But story and decent looking length will keep this game in my sites for a SE as long as the ending is wrapped up without the bonus chapter. (I will NOT buy a CE just for bonus content to finish a story line, I hate that, and will not support devs that do it...a CE should have extras, imo...so I will be interested in other's reviewers perspectives of the ending).
I recommend this game!
Become the fabled detective and rescue the Final Cinderella from the evil Godmother's clutches!
Overall rating
5
/
5
109 of 120 found this review helpful
Wow, my trial blew by. Very nice game
PostedMay 23, 2013
lovesangelrn
fromcolumbus, OH
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Large File, Strategy, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
REVIEW BASED ON ONE HOUR DEMO
You are a detective that is called to investigate a palace where 3 girls have been turned to glass by an (evil) godmother. She is trying to find the perfect Cinderella for reasons yet unknown (but most likely sinister).
--10 chapters, plus a bonus chapter, plus extra mini-games. I made it halfway through chapter 2 during my hour (but I was taking it a bit slow and enjoying it). The SG had 38 pages for the main game and I was on page 9 or so when my hour was up. So, based on that, I'd say you should get a pretty decent length (I played on the middle setting, and most games like this take me under 3.5-4 hours. I think I would be getting longer with this one, just based on my past experiences on how far I get in demos)
--3 levels of game play that can be changed during the game. Plus, sparkles for interactive zones and HOS can be turned off and on individually.
--adjustable gamma (which I find awesome)
--played beautifully in widescreen and the graphics are absolutely lovely
--Full control of sound. I found the music a bit grating after a while, so had it really turned down. Personally, I think it would have been better music without the vocal (it was a soprano vocalizing), but I also had a mild headache, so that may have added to my dislike. But, like I said, you can turn it way down and even off, so, I am not letting that affect my score.
--Map...but NOT a jump map, sadly. Also, it give some info as to current areas of interest, but isn't very helpful. I did have to resort the hint button a few times to know where area I should be looking for something to do.
--hint button fills up fairly quickly even on the medium difficulty. And the morphing objects you find will instantly fill it up if you have just used it.
--FHOG (fractured hidden object games). The scenes were all very clear and the items fairly easy to find. There were several in the hour I played, so it seems like the game might be heavier on the FHOG than puzzles. There is no click penalty.
--puzzles...the few I had were quite easy, no real challenge. The FHOG were much more of a challenge for me, but I rarely play FHOGs, so there is a learning curve for me on those.
--Collectables. There are 20 morphing objects (which can be really hard to spot, especially since your cursor doesn't change when hovering over them) and 24 parable cards which adds to a special book that tells the stories of different princesses and villains.
--Sadly, no achievements
OVERVIEW:
I found the story intriguing, the scenery lovely, the FHOG clear, the SG informational (and stays open to the page you last left it on). The map could have used a little improvement in the info it gave as to where you needed to go and really would have been nice as a jump map. Because of the map and the lack of achievements, I'd actually give this a 4.5 but rounded up to 5.
side note: I have never played any of the other dark parables, but I have done their trials. Sadly, I really don't like FHOGs and that is the only type of HOS these have. If it was just a few, I would consider it, but all the HOS are fractured. So, while I won't be personally purchasing the game because of that, I did keep my review un-biased and do recommend it as a fun and enjoyable addition to the series.
I recommend this game!
Join the beautiful demon-huntress, Vida, on her investigation into a series of mysterious kidnappings!
Overall rating
4
/
5
74 of 80 found this review helpful
Entertaining, Mostly HOS
PostedMay 21, 2013
lovesangelrn
fromcolumbus, OH
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
BASED ON HOUR DEMO
You are a demon hunter that has been asked by a count to come and investigate kidnappings. On your way there, your carriage is attacked and you must continue to make your way to the castle. Along the way, you pick up a snarky were-ferret companion.
--2 play modes (you are unable to change modes once selected). I played on easy, but found it still very challenging as there seemed to be no sparkles for interactive objects (but most were easily seen without sparkles. Had to use a hint to find a couple).
--plays in widescreen
--adjustable gamma (which I always like. I prefer the game screen a bit lighter than most games have as a default).
--Jump map, which comes in handy. There are markings on the map for places of intrest, but I found them very little help, and couldn't rely on them (mostly they pointed out where puzzles or HOS were...which wasn't my issue. I could find the puzzles, but needed to know where to get items to active puzzles.
--14 acheivements......which is NICE for a SE
--Voice overs. Accents are a bit thick, but there are text bubbles
--Mostly HOS with a few puzzles thrown in here and there. I think I did 3 easy puzzles and 5-6 HOS in my hour demo. HOS are not interactive (at least none of the ones I encountered in the demo were).
--hint button fills quickly on easy and is usable outside of HOS, but is a bit different than any game I've seen. It shows you on a screen shot of the area you are standing in EVERYTHING you can do there...even if you don't have an object to compete a task yet.
--skip button seemed a bit slow for me, which is fine, I rarely skip puzzles.
Overview.
The story line is interesting, and the your character and the ferret talk back and forth quite a bit. The ferret says some pretty funny things. As I said, this is mostly a HOS game, with a few puzzles. HOS are pretty clear, but some items are small and VERY blended into the surrounding. In my hour demo, I made it to the 1st HOS in chapter 2....so game length might be decent. But, as there is no guide, I have no idea how many chapters there are. The info that BigFish states in the game description says "10 hours of game play"....which is a very lofty statement and it will be interesting to see what full reviews say about length.
The story line is interesting, and the your character and the ferret talk back and forth quite a bit. The ferret says some pretty funny things. As I said, this is mostly a HOS game, with a few puzzles. HOS are pretty clear, but some items are small and VERY blended into the surrounding. In my hour demo, I made it to the 1st HOS in chapter 2....so game length might be decent. But, as there is no guide, I have no idea how many chapters there are. The info that BigFish states in the game description says "10 hours of game play"....which is a very lofty statement and it will be interesting to see what full reviews say about length.
All in all, if you like HOS over puzzles/minigames, then this one is most likely right up your alley. As for me, I prefer more puzzles than HOS, but I still would recommend you at least give it a try before passing it up.
I recommend this game!
Over and over the same nightmare is following you: your sister Anna is trapped in a strange existence, begging you to help her escape. But what if these are not just random nightmares?
Overall rating
2
/
5
41 of 60 found this review helpful
Eh....could have been better
PostedMay 20, 2013
lovesangelrn
fromcolumbus, OH
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor
2
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
2
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
3
/
5
REVIEW BASED ON HOUR TRIAL
You get a feeling your twin sister is in trouble, so you head over to her house and she is no where to be found. Thus starts the mystery.
--two modes of game play (doesn't appear that you can switch modes during play)
--plays well in widescreen
--pretty hand drawn graphics
--Hint button fills quickly on casual and works outside of HOS (not consumed if it just points the way)
--No map (at least I never got one, but I only made it into the 1st few rooms of the house during my trial..so perhaps if there is a map, you get it later)
--journal to help tell the story of your sister, but doesn't save all the things you find, like puzzle clues (I had to back out of a puzzle to walk over and look at the clue).
Overview:
OK, I really tried to like this game, but just couldn't get there during the demo. It appears to have no voiceovers....but that might be a glitch, because, other than the music, it had no sound effects either, which made playing feel really weird (and quiet).
OK, I really tried to like this game, but just couldn't get there during the demo. It appears to have no voiceovers....but that might be a glitch, because, other than the music, it had no sound effects either, which made playing feel really weird (and quiet).
I did 4 HOS, 3 were standard lists with some interactive elements, the other was a silhouette search that you used each piece you found to get the next piece. While I liked the concept of the silhouette one, the items were way too small to find easily and I got frustrated quickly.
The few puzzles I did were easy-moderate in difficulty. And I did like them.
This game could have had so much more promise, but with the lack of voiceovers (and even sound effects) and the hard to spot HOS, I will have to pass.
I don't recommend this game.
Save the kingdom and reunite Princess Isabella with her prince in the exciting conclusion to the Princess Isabella trilogy!
Overall rating
3
/
5
16 of 30 found this review helpful
Interresting, but not sure worth the CE cost
PostedMay 18, 2013
lovesangelrn
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
4
/
5
Level of Challenge
3
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
**BASED ON THE HOUR DEMO**
So, I played the hour demo and liked the story line. You are a princess trying to save your mother from a witch's curse. The story is intriguing enough to keep my interest for the hour I played.
Pros
--you get several useful inventory items to keep...a wand, a dragon to lift heavy things, and fairy godmothers (when unlocked).
--HOS scenes are very clear (junk piles). Items were not small and were fairly easy to find
--3 levels of play (normal, advanced, and custom). Can be changed while in the game. I played on custom (I'm really liking that more games are allowing this option).
--collections....sort of...you collect picture pieces to free your fairy godmothers. It is a intricate part of the game, so it will have to be in the SE too.
--The strategy guide stays open to the last page you were on
--Music was pretty...but got a bit repetitive
--you get several useful inventory items to keep...a wand, a dragon to lift heavy things, and fairy godmothers (when unlocked).
--HOS scenes are very clear (junk piles). Items were not small and were fairly easy to find
--3 levels of play (normal, advanced, and custom). Can be changed while in the game. I played on custom (I'm really liking that more games are allowing this option).
--collections....sort of...you collect picture pieces to free your fairy godmothers. It is a intricate part of the game, so it will have to be in the SE too.
--The strategy guide stays open to the last page you were on
--Music was pretty...but got a bit repetitive
Cons:
--no map what so ever. So be prepared to walk back and forth some. The area isn't huge, so it's not a big issue, but I have gotten used to maps and missed having one.
--graphics felt a bit dated. Also, it didn't play in widescreen
--no achievements, no collectables (not counting the picture fragments...which in my opinion is part of the game and not really a collection). These are a must for me to consider buying a CE
--seemed like many more HOS than puzzles. Puzzles themselves were quite easy. Not sure if they will get more difficult as the game goes on.
--HOS were not interactive. I had several regular list ones and one "collect all the x items" So nothing new here.
--I think the game is going to be on the short side. There are 7 chapters (not including the bonus), and I got part way through the 3rd during my hour trial.
--no map what so ever. So be prepared to walk back and forth some. The area isn't huge, so it's not a big issue, but I have gotten used to maps and missed having one.
--graphics felt a bit dated. Also, it didn't play in widescreen
--no achievements, no collectables (not counting the picture fragments...which in my opinion is part of the game and not really a collection). These are a must for me to consider buying a CE
--seemed like many more HOS than puzzles. Puzzles themselves were quite easy. Not sure if they will get more difficult as the game goes on.
--HOS were not interactive. I had several regular list ones and one "collect all the x items" So nothing new here.
--I think the game is going to be on the short side. There are 7 chapters (not including the bonus), and I got part way through the 3rd during my hour trial.
Overview:
While the story is interesting, it is nothing new. The extra inventory stuff does give it a bit of a twist. But with no achievements, collections, or morphing objects, and what seems to be short length, I will sadly have to pass at this time on the CE. But will consider the SE when it comes around (my biggest hang up will be the length. I like to get at least 4 hours out of a main game, and this sadly will likely only take half that time).
While the story is interesting, it is nothing new. The extra inventory stuff does give it a bit of a twist. But with no achievements, collections, or morphing objects, and what seems to be short length, I will sadly have to pass at this time on the CE. But will consider the SE when it comes around (my biggest hang up will be the length. I like to get at least 4 hours out of a main game, and this sadly will likely only take half that time).
Castle: Never Judge a Book by Its Cover
Solving murder has never been so much fun!
Overall rating
4
/
5
2 of 2 found this review helpful
Enjoyable game
PostedMay 9, 2013
lovesangelrn
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
4
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
3
/
5
Level of Challenge
5
/
5
Storyline
4
/
5
I did enjoy this game very much. The lack of having a walkthrough made it a bit tough at times. I am a Castle fan, and really enjoyed the story line (the character lines seemed to come straight out of the show...I could hear the actor's voices in my head). No ghosts, no missing kids...just a good, old fashioned murder mystery.
Pros:
--The HOS are very clear. And you can switch back and forth from a list to a profile, which really helps when you aren't sure of the shape of an item
--Good mix of puzzles and HOS
--the map lets you know where you still have things to do. Cuts down on going to the wrong area and searching in vain
--the hint system works outside of the HOS and doesn't start a countdown if you just use it to find out where you need to go (it does count down if it shows you what to use or what to pick up).
--the sound track isn't distracting and is actually quite pleasant to listen to.
--The HOS are very clear. And you can switch back and forth from a list to a profile, which really helps when you aren't sure of the shape of an item
--Good mix of puzzles and HOS
--the map lets you know where you still have things to do. Cuts down on going to the wrong area and searching in vain
--the hint system works outside of the HOS and doesn't start a countdown if you just use it to find out where you need to go (it does count down if it shows you what to use or what to pick up).
--the sound track isn't distracting and is actually quite pleasant to listen to.
Cons:
--either the puzzles are very hard or super easy. I was able to get most of the hard ones, but had to skip a few (the hint system doesn't work in puzzles...either you figure out the whole thing, or you just have to skip it).
--no voice overs...which I understand...the game would be very expensive to get the actual actors to do them...but still...it seemed like I was playing a game on my DS rather than on the computer.
--doesn't have the WOW factor of some games and some people might find the story a bit slow. It did just enough to keep my attention.
--either the puzzles are very hard or super easy. I was able to get most of the hard ones, but had to skip a few (the hint system doesn't work in puzzles...either you figure out the whole thing, or you just have to skip it).
--no voice overs...which I understand...the game would be very expensive to get the actual actors to do them...but still...it seemed like I was playing a game on my DS rather than on the computer.
--doesn't have the WOW factor of some games and some people might find the story a bit slow. It did just enough to keep my attention.
All in all, I enjoyed the game. There are 5 chapters. Two difficulty modes, I played on the advanced. The game took me about 5 hours (and like I said, I did have to skip a few puzzles after spending some time on them and getting frustrated). Definitely worth the monthly credit I spent to get it.
I recommend this game!
Dark magic threatens our world! Can you stop the Shade and his minions before it's too late?
Overall rating
4
/
5
very good sequel
PostedMarch 1, 2013
lovesangelrn
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
I rarely buy CE's, but I had 2 credits that had been burning a hole in my pocket. I loved the 1st Otherworld so much, that I bought this one without trying the demo, and I wasn't disappointed.
The story is very engaging. And I love achievements. The graphics were lovely. The HOP were very spaced out and not overwhelming at all.
My only complaint and the reason I couldn't give it 5 stars was the puzzles were far too easy. I rarely even had to look at the directions to figure them out.
But other than that, this game was a perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon.
On expert mode, playing at a casual pace, the core game took me 4 hours and the bonus took me 1 hour. If you buy the SE you will be left out of the ending (which leaves it open for the next game).
I recommend this game!
After crashing your car in the middle of nowhere, you stumble upon a mysterious town with a shady background. Solve a dark mystery!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Wow, what a wonderful adventure!!!!
PostedDecember 8, 2012
lovesangelrn
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game had me hooked before my trial hour was even halfway through. The game actually bugged after I bought it (somewhere the save file of my trial must have messed up and it thought i had an inventory item already that I didn't), but I didn't mind at all starting over, it was just that much fun
Although, in normal cases, there would have been too many HoS for my liking, the match 3 option really made this game stand out. The match 3 was fun, and got more challenging as the game went on (I might be biased though, as I love match 3 games to start with). I wish all the hidden object adventure games has a alternative mini-game to play when you just can't find that last object.
The story drew me in as well...just enough creepy to intrigue me, but not enough to really be scary. Although, there were really no surprises at the end...I figured out the "mystery" pretty early on, but that didn't keep my from playing all in one sitting.
It also includes a few achievements...so there is a bit of reply value.
One of the biggest pluses for me was the length of the game....5.5 hours (which is pretty long for me as the average big fish game takes me 3-4).
I did get this game while it was on sale, but I would highly recommend it at the normal price....it's worth it
I recommend this game!
Use a mystical locket to explore a magical world and save a young girl in Other world: Spring of Shadows!
Overall rating
5
/
5
Excellent SE
PostedDecember 5, 2012
lovesangelrn
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Hidden Object
Fun Factor
5
/
5
Visual/Sound Quality
5
/
5
Level of Challenge
4
/
5
Storyline
5
/
5
This game was very enjoyable. Intriguing story/plot.
Pros:
Great length. Took me nearly 5 hours on the medium setting, which is really really good for this type of game (the average one takes me 3-4).
Great length. Took me nearly 5 hours on the medium setting, which is really really good for this type of game (the average one takes me 3-4).
Widescreen :)
Achievements and collectable fairies......don't see this often in a SE.
I actually enjoyed the HoS (I prefer puzzles over HOS), and they varied. Some standard list with some interaction, others were matching a pair of like items, and others were pictures of items you had to find. The HoS were quite spread and I in no way felt overwhelmed by them.
You got to keep the very handy knife and water pitcher the entire game!!!!! I know, this is a minor thing, but it's a pet peeve of mine of these game...."why, oh why, did i get rid of that oh so handy knive/crowbar/screwdriver I had earlier."
Cons:
The map was only minimally interactive and i rarely needed to use it. But this doesn't bother me all that much, having played many games without maps at all. However, this did make for quite a bit of walking back and forth.
The puzzles were fairly easy. There were a few that I couldn't quite understand the instructions at first, but once I got it...it was like "duh"
Bottom line....excellent game....basically all the benefits of a CE for the price of a SE. I'm really becoming a fan of these devo's.
I recommend this game!